A poster for the Children's Day concert.

This Children's Day, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) has curated an immersive audio-visual extravaganza for families with young ones.

Conducted by Zhang Lu, the orchestra will perform two concerts, bringing to life composer Liu Sola's symphonic suite "The Legend of Monkey King." Meanwhile, classic animated clips from the 1961 film "Havoc in Heaven," officially authorized by Shanghai Animation Film Studio, will be projected on screen, leading audiences on a delightful journey.

The suite, jointly commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the centennial of Chinese animation, premiered in Shanghai in October 2022. Composer Liu did not adapt the familiar melodies from the original film's soundtrack but instead created an entirely new composition. 

Liu Sola.

The nine-movement suite tells the complete story of Sun Wukong — from his rise as king of Flower-Fruit Mountain and obtaining his miraculous weapon in the Eastern Sea, to being appointed as the keeper of the heavenly horses, getting drunk and causing chaos at the Peach Banquet, battling the heavenly army, and ultimately being refined in a furnace before emerging with fiery eyes to become the “Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

Liu drew inspiration from the structure of traditional Chinese opera and created the music in accordance with the storyline.

Chinese percussion instruments like gongs, drums, and cymbals are used to depict the bustling Flower-Fruit Mountain. The pipa, piano, and electric guitar intertwine to produce a tense and magical soundscape, bringing to life the Monkey King as he leaps from the furnace.

The composer also blends jazz elements with folk music to give the work a contemporary vibe.

Zhang Lu.

Zhang, also an award-winning pianist, is known for his precise yet expressive conducting.

With this special holiday fare, parents can relive their childhood memories, while children delight in the fun and surprises of music.

The concert lasts approximately 70 minutes with no intermission.

Tickets: 80–280 yuan, with discounted packages for two and three available.

Time: 3 p.m., May 31 and June 1

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音樂廳)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宮站), Exit D